At UFC 126 Vitor Belfort is attempting to win the Middleweight Championship from Anderson Silva. Belfort has some of the fastests hands in MMA and some of the most powerful punches. If Silva can stay on the outside and circle away and use that great footwork of his then I think he will be able to defeat Belfort.
However, I stink making fight picks so I will stick to what I know I am good at and that is strength and conditioning. In the video you will see below you will have the opportunity to look at some of Belfort’s training. This video is great because it shows many different aspects of one of his training sessions. They call it a physical therapy session but some of the training he does in the video could be someones regular training session.
In the video he works on what looks like running mechanics. The reason for this looks like to warmup the central nervous system. But working on running mechanics could have a transfer into footwork in a fight.
After that they move into a dynamic warm-up. Now I have not gone into much about warming up on my site but I will tell you I use a dynamic warm-up prior to all of my athletes training sessions. You will also see him work on some core work as well as his lower back. You will also see Vitor do one of my personal favorites Prowler pushes and heavy sled drags.
If you take a close look as this training session you will notice that he works a lot on his lower body. You want to know why Belfort is fast then just take a look at his training methods and you will see why.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
Feb 05 2011
Vitor Belfort Training
Feb 03 2011
Jon Jones Deadlifting
The other day I posted a couple of videos of Jon Jones training. Jones is a great athlete and is well on his way to becoming champion one day. But before he can become champ he needs to defeat another great athlete in Ryan Bader at UFC 126.
In this video Jones is performing one the best strength training exercises, the deadlift. The deadlift is a great movement that will work on improving strength in your hamstrings, glutes and lower back. I have all my fighters and even the average clients perform deadlifts. Deadlifts can help with picking up opponents off the ground, can increase both punching and kicking power and help with a fighters takedowns.
In the video below you will see Jones performing the deadlift. Now what I love about this video is the proper technique Jones uses on the lift as well as the fact that he re-sets after each rep. The deadlift is a tough exercise and with heavy weight it can really tax the body. Re-setting after each rep of the deadlift will ensure proper technique in the lift and will reduce the risk of injury.
So if you are looking to add deadlifting to your training mix take a look at this video for the proper way to do it. Is it by far perfect? No, but Jones does show some really good technique. Add deadlifts to your training and you will see your strength improve greatly.
Nov 01 2010
Boxing for MMA
I told you a few weeks ago that I was on the hunt for different trainers from all the different arts that make up MMA. You have seen for the last three weeks some post on muay Thai. Now I have found my boxing guy! Wilson Pitts. Wilson brings some quality information to the site. Here is an interview that Wilson did with Roberto Sharpe on Boxing for MMA.
Team Combat Trainer is still looking for a wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert so if you are one contact me on Twitter @combattrainer and let me know you are interested in writing about what you love! Enjoy the article and video below!
Roberto Sharpe interviews Wilson Pitts:
Robert-What modifications are you employing when teaching boxing for MMA. As I understand it MMA likes to enter from long range with leg attacks, then switch from leg kicks to punches to single leg takedowns.
Wilson- First I work with the fundamentals of stance, balance and hand positions. These basics are missing in a lot of MMA fighters. I won’t let them even spar if they drop their hands, flinch, or have not developed snap on their punches. They must master these basics in the gym for their own protection. Also, a lot of emphasis has to be put on speed of hands and feet from the beginning. A lot of grappling based MMA fighters are too slow in their stand up.
The boxing stance has to be modified for MMA, front foot kept light. We work on moving laterally, stepping over off of the jab and in response to the forward pressure of the opponent. Pass the elbow and let your hands go. See Wilson and Roberto discuss this below:
I’m teaching my students to use a jab and broken rhythm footwork to negate the straight leg shoot. We spend a fair amount of time with beginners in front of a mirror practicing feints and stepping to angles off of the jab. The jab stops the opponent’s forward momentum. It has to be delivered with snap and no telegraphing.
The jab is aimed at the chest so that as they drop down they move into it. I teach fighters to use timing and “meet the head.” Punch to where it is moving to, as opposed to punching at where it was. This is something I learned from Georgie Benton. Make contact with their chest and then you can find the range for their chin. It can be hard to find the range when they are throwing a lot of wild punches so you dip and punch straight to the chest.
When facing a fighter who constantly ducks down under your hook Eddie Fuch emphasized using the rear uppercut, normally a fighter’s most powerful punch. You do not lead with this punch, it follows your hook and “meets them” as they go down. The body is a much larger target and better for this punch, but it can be aimed at the chin as well. This is important for MMA.
Watch a MMA grappler and they walk forward and lunge to shoot for the single leg. In boxing parlance they would be termed a “two stepper” and the stutter step and the jab throw them off and set them up. They have to have that momentum to effectively shoot. When they shoot from a close gap and don’t get a step they are not nearly as effective. So they must not be allowed to waltz across the gap unmolested. When they are coming across the gap is when they can be timed with punches.
If you study Thai boxing, they counter the rear leg round kick with the straight right hand. They both are applied at about the same range with the kick having the reach at initiation but because of the rotation of their body they fall into the range of the right hand. Thai boxing is also very good at using simple footwork to make knees and kicks miss. They step over, away from the rotation of the opponent’s body, and it makes a lot of straight kicks and knees miss and it takes the power off of the rear leg round house. This lateral movement gives them angles for punching without eating the opponent’s power kick.
Wilson- OK I’m through giving away trade secrets for today!
Roberto- Now that is an answer! Thank you. Anderson Silva is a great example for use of the jab and broken rhythm. Machida also seems to know not to allow “waltzing” into his gap without pain being inflicted.
Oct 20 2010
Muay Thai Stance
In the quest to bring you the best strength and conditioning for combat athletes I am also going to be giving you the best in martial arts training as well. Here is what I am doing for the site. I am searching for different coaches of the different martial arts that make up MMA. These coaches will contribute to the site different techniques from their respective arts to help you become a better all round fighter or combat athlete.
To start this great segment off I have Kru Juiceman from Muayman Alliance. He is going to elaborate on the proper Muay Thai stance and will be a contributor to the site. So here is his post on the proper Muay Thai stance. Remeber kids the basics win fights!
The Muay Thai stance is more then just a base for throwing techniques, it’s your house, your fortress, you’re castle, armed with all the battlements and weapons to defend it!
Muay Thai is famous for it’s “wall of defense”, the only time you should be exposed is when you’re throwing a technique, because you must open the door in order to do so.
Most experienced MMA fighters train extensively on their Muay Thai, honing it, making it their own. Take such notables as Anderson Silva, George St. Pierre, Sean Sherk, and Randy Couture just to name a few!
Yes, some like Randy or Sean are known for their wrestling skills, however, it is evident from watching them and training in the same circles helps that most of their striking skills are indeed taken from the time tested attributes of Muay Thai.
When training the stance, the key factors to keep in mind:
1) Keep your feet under you at all times, if you over extend your balance is in jeopardy.
2) Keep your front foot under your front should, it facilitates proper defense and makes kicking twice as fast! Rear foot just behind your butt. Front toes facing straight out, rear facing out on a 45.
3) Rear heel up at all times. It gives all your movements forward momentum.
4) Keep all the weight on the balls of your feet. That way you are less likely to injure your knee and it gives you added power when kicking.
5) Keep your elbows on your ribs; unless broken ribs are not a problem for you!
6) NEVER drop your hands lower then your chin. Try and keep them about cheek level.
7) Imagine there are wheels built into your cheeks, and turn them with your hands, rotating them toward your face. Trust me, this is a habit you want!
Live in your stance; remember it’s your house. Always and forever be shifting your weight back and forth between your feet, moving your head side to side. Stillness is death, don’t get caught there!
Hope that helps new students and old alike to always be perfecting their stance; you’re never too advanced enough to work on it. Sawatdee my friends, Kru Juiceman! Your friends at the Muayman Alliance!
Sep 11 2010
Benefits of Gymnastics for MMA
Gymnastics is one of the oldest forms of exercise. Its benefits are great for not just gymnast but other athletes as well. The Spartans, one of the greatest fighting civilizations in world history, were said to train in gymnastics. If you saw the Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen UFC championship fight, you actually saw Sonnen use a forward roll to escape trouble. The moment I could, my daughter was signed up for gymnastics because of the great benefits.
One of the benefits of gymnastics is learning how to control your body. Controlling your body in just everyday life is essential but looking at it from a fighting standpoint, any great martial artist knows how to control their body well. This development of coordination when training in gymnastics can also lead to better balance and can teach an athlete to learn how to fall to prevent injury.
Another benefit of gymnastic that can help any MMA fighter or Jiu-Jitsu player is the development of better flexibility. Gymnastics athletes are some of the most flexible athletes in the world. Flexibility plays a key roll in combat sports. We have seen how flexibility has helped fighters escape from devastating submission that would tap many fighters. Gymnastics will help fighters become much more flexible in the hips and the shoulder.
Becoming stronger and more powerful is another benefit of gymnastics. Gymnasts are some of the strongest athletes in the world. Using gymnastic in a fighters strength and conditioning program will also lead to great strength and power gains.
Above I spoke about how gymnastics teaches athletes how to control their body. It also teaches an athlete or fighter kinesthetic awareness, which is knowing where your body is in space. Why is this important to say MMA or Jiu-Jitsu? A fighter finds himself in many different positions during a fight and sometimes on their back, at times on top of an opponent.
Recently I was reading an article by Dan John, in the article he was talking about different challenges. One of the challenges was using gymnastic movements. Using simple gymnastic moves this set of movements placed together challenged cardio and my awareness of where I was. You will see in the video below how at one point when I get up I am trying to find my balance and find where I was as I headed toward the water. In the first video I cut out two reps on each of the exercises. The second part of the video we performed all reps. The small challenge consisted of; 5 forward rolls, 5 rolls over the left shoulder, 5 rolls over the right shoulder, 6 cartwheels a bear crawl finished off by a short sprint. Give it a try; trust me it’s harder than it looks.
Train Hard! Train Smart!
Aug 30 2010
UFC Expo
This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the UFC Expo in Boston as well as UFC 118 and let me tell you it was a great time. I headed up a day early to Boston to do a little sight seeing in this city with such rich American history. Boston is where the American Revolution started, which could be one of the biggest upsets in the history of fighting. So Thursday we checked out all the cool historical sites.
Friday morning I woke up like a kid on Christmas morning and the UFC did not disappoint. Going into this weekend I had one mission and that was to get my picture taken with Wanderlei Silva. Right off the bat I jumped in his line and accomplished my mission anything else the rest of the weekend was icing on the cake and boy was that icing delicious.
The UFC did a great job keeping their fans happy all weekend. There were great autograph sessions, with some of the top fighters in the UFC. From Renzo Gracie, Bas Rutten, And Vitor Belfort to Uriah Faber, Thiago Alves and Anderson Silva, all greats were out in full force for the fans. They also put on some training and development seminars hosted by some of the top fighters and trainers to help improve your game.
All the top sponsors and vendors were there, promoting their products, we had access to all of this great stuff with some great deals. We also had an opportunity to step into the Octagon and take a few photos. One of the highlights did not even happen at the Expo, it happened as I walking back to my hotel and I ran into Shaq. Now I am not a basketball fan but meeting Shaq was pretty cool.
A great fight card then topped off the Expo for UFC 118. Randy Couture showed the world why mixed martial arts is superior to boxing by defeating James Toney. Frankie Edgar proved the first fight was not a fluke as he defeated BJ Penn to retain the lightweight championship of the world. Fight of the night honors however went to Nate Diaz and Marcus Davis. Diaz put on a striking clinic and finished Davis off by choking him out. The whole weekend was a blast from top to bottom. Hopefully once MMA is legalized in New York there will be and Expo held at Madison Square Garden for all to enjoy.
Aug 07 2010
UFC 117 Predictions
One of the most anticipated UFC events is upon us. In just a few hours we are going to see if Chael Sonnan can back up all of his talking and win the world championship. The hype around that fight is crazy, and after Anderson Silva’s last performance many want to see him go down.
The best thing about UFC 117 is that the main event is just the icing on the cake. The rest of the card is stacked with great fights in all the different weight classes. This card on paper is the best card of the summer.
So here are my predictions for this card. Now if you know me I m never really good at this so if you are a gambling man or woman then bet against me and I could make you rich.
The first match-up I want to discuss is in the heavy weight division. Junior Dos Santos takes on Roy Nelson. This could turn out to be a slugfest. Both have heavy handsand someone is going to be getting knocked out in this one. Many always go against Roy Nelson because of the way he presents himself. He does not look like a fighter but we all know he can throw down. Damn this one is hard to call. I am taking Roy Nelson in a 2nd round TKO.
Next up is a match up I want to see, as former welterweight champ and UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes takes on Ricardo Almeida. Once again Hughes will be taking on a Gracie fighter. First it was Royce, then Matt Serra, Renzo Gracie and now Almeida. Can Hughes become the new “Gracie Hunter”? I think this is where Hughes hunting dayscome to an end. Big Dog will come out on top via unanimous decison. It will be a tough fight but Almeida will pull it out in the end.
Clay Guida and Rafael Dos Anjos is going to be a barn burner and the next match-up on the card. The pace of this fight will be incredible. Who doesn’t like a nice lightweight fight. Guida is a fireball and the fans are in love with him. He looks to win his second fight in a row coming off a submission victory in March. Dos Anjos looks to keep his three fight win streak in tact, with a victory over Guida it will bring him to a new level in the lightweight division. In this fight I have Guida taking it in a split decsion. The judges will have a hard time with this one. So boys don’t leave it to the judges.
Next up we have Jon Fitch taking on Thiago Alves. This is a match-up of ATT goig up against AKA. Fitch won their first meeting but Alves is a different fighter this time around. If Alves can stop the takedown then Alves will take this one but I believe that Fitch will be able to get this fight to the ground and pull out the victory via unanimous decsion.
Finally the main event the one everyone has been talking about, the super hyped match-up with Chael Sonnen going up against the pound for pound best fighter in the world Anderson Silva. I see Silva knocking Sonnen out in the second round. The first round Silva will feel Sonnen out. Sonnen will get a takedown and Silva will survive the round. In the second the feeling out process will be over and Silva is going to just take control of the fight and finish Sonnen off. Then everyone will be in love with Silva again and we will all be one happy UFC family. So enjoy the fights and in the famous words of the Beastie Boys, “If your driving, don’t drink, and if you drink, don’t drive”!
Aug 03 2010
Ricardo Almeida Strength and Conditioning
UFC 117 is only a few days away and this card is stacked from top to bottom. We all know the main event pits Chael Sonnen going against defending champ Anderson Silva for the title. The one sided war of words has been well documented over the last few months and soon enough it will be time to close the mouth and step inside the Octagon.
For the next couple of days I am in hot pursuit of finding strength and conditioning videos of some of the fighters that are on the card at UFC 117. For starters I am going to begin with Ricardo Almeida who is taking on a legend in Matt Hughes. This is going to be a battle and I see it going to the judges. That being said both fighters will have to be in top condition.
Ricardo Almeida’s strength and conditioning coach is the world renowned Martin Rooney. If you follow strength and conditioning Rooney is one of the leaders in the industry and I myself have learned quite a bit from this great coach.
The video below is a short one. The deadlift is one of the best movements an athlete can perform. The deadlift builds the muscles of the posteiror chain. In this video Rooney has Almeida doing a variation of the deadlift. Rooney calls this modified version the sprawling deadlift. Obvious the sprawl is essential in MMA. The key to this lift is to do it as fast as possible and generate power. So don’t load the bar to heavy because it will not allow you pull it up fast. So check out this video. And don’t forget to watch Almeida take on Hughes this weekend.
